After four months of talks, Tempo Industries Inc. (asi/90859) has acquired the assets of New Jersey-based supplier Jayline International Corp. (asi/63253). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Jayline has an exceptional product line,” says Stuart Braunstein, president of Tempo Line. “They have products that we didn’t carry. We also wanted to expand our customer base.”

Jayline International, though, should not be confused with Ontario, Canada-based Jay-Line (asi/63014). The two are separate companies and are not affiliated in any way.

Effective immediately, Tempo Line is accepting Jayline orders. Jayline’s factory in New Jersey is now closed and its inventory is being moved to Tempo Line’s site in New York. Braunstein plans to keep the Jayline brand separate from Tempo Line and not merge the companies’ products into one catalog. “That was one of the reasons for the deal,” Braunstein says. “People know the Jayline name. Why kill the brand name?”

Jayline president Jay Weinstock won’t be involved with Tempo Line moving forward, but he does not intend to leave the industry and hopes to find a way to continue to develop products in the future. “I love the industry,” Weinstock says. “The sale was health-related. I’ve had some health issues and the time is right for me to pursue some other things.”

Several Jayline factory and office employees are joining Tempo Line. Additional workers may be hired to accommodate an expanded load of orders. Braunstein would not provide specifics but he says that Tempo Line’s sales were up slightly in 2008. Braunstein says 2009 sales are tracking similar to last year’s figures. Founded in 1993, Tempo Line employs about 20 people. Known for its USB drives, the company also manufactures flashlights, tape measures and a variety of other tools and items.